This week’s wrap-up is brought to you by Fix The Toaster, which aims at awareness and prevention of car crashes. Nearly 32,000 Americans die in car crashes annually. 80% of car crashes are PREVENTABLE. If the TOASTER was killing that many people we’d think it was ridiculous. We’d un-plug it and say, let’s Fix The Toaster. Be aware and be safe out there, people. You’re worth it.

“Did a quick interview with The Hook”.
You make it sound so… normal, Jenny.

In actual fact, it was the coolest thing since I scaled a cable tower to spy on Cheryl Williams through her bedroom window in the sixth grade.

It’s okay, folks; she was in on it.

And I fell before I saw anything too x-rated. Of course, I landed on her dog – who was never quite the same after… So I guess karma is a bitch who truly works in mysterious ways.

Anyway, thanks again, my Bloggess, for visiting my little blog and making my life complete. Not only do you have kick-ass cats and a kick-ass attitude, and tons of talent, you have a warm and generous heart.
You rule.

Seems to me that your cats must be used to this kind of thing by now. If they haven’t killed you in your sleep before now, I’d say that you’re pretty safe. Of course, you may want to check your shoes for “presents” for a few days……

From my snow-covered Squalor House in Illinois:
A Happy Christmas to Jenny, Victor and Hailey—who make my days happier and bright!

A Merry Christmas/Happy Solstice/December 25th/Whatever to the Bloggess Army and the Tribe of my fellow Commenters around the world who are funny, kind, and breathtakingly honest and make me feel I’m not alone.

To all of us who struggles with “issues” of one kind or another–a wish for a Happy New Year with far more days of light than dark.

Best wishes to all!!! Gail

P.S. Now, my 7 cats are worried that Santa will be bringing a hat and beard for each instead of toys and treats!!!

I really appreciate the risk you took for making your card…my cat would have killed me and buried me in his litter box. Have a Merry Christmas!! (and watch your back…the cats will strike when you aren’t looking!)

I cannot believe you survived that. I tried to bathe my cat for the first time this week, and she growled at me. It was so menacing that I realized she IS actually in charge of me. I joke about it, but for real, my cat could kick my ass.

I think my cats started a support group for abused felines. They had to be Christmas Jesters this year. Let your cats know there’s help if they need it.
Well, not like HELP help, because the dressing-upping is never going to stop…but at least there’s a place they can go to bitch about it. Even more than maybe they already do.

this year I despaired of a proper gift for my 17 year old niece. I’m the book aunt (you know, *that* one) and kept picking up things that were *almost* right. Then I remembered. So she’s getting your book and if she doesn’t like it she’s out of the family because Christ on a Cracker (wow, my pastor wishes I’d stop saying that) What The Hell Has To Be Wrong With A Person Not To Like That Book?

My family is getting me nice things, bless their hearts, but most of the time they don’t GET me. But my favorite gift of the season has been The Bloggess’s good gift/bad gifts post and each and every comment, and her live tweeting of her first #fruitcake experience.

One of my cats “talks” just like Hunter S. Thomcat — but ONLY when it’s bedtime. We have a cat door in the door that leads from the master bedroom to the deck and the cats love to sit out on the deck and pretend they are really jungle animals. When it’s bedtime, I’ll tell Toppa to come inside and she looks at me in distain and starts to chitter — in a way that makes it clear she is saying, “Fuck you! I don’t want to go to bed! If you want me to come inside, you’ll have to come out in the cold and get me, stupid human!” I usually DO have to open the door and take a step outside before she decides I’m serious and darts between my legs (and then usually she hides under my bed…and the game starts again). Perhaps a gift of a Santa hat and a little beard will remind Ms. Upitty who the mama lion is in our household.

My cat chitters like this, too (though I call it chatter, lol). She does it when she sees birds through the window or when there’s a fly too high up on the wall to reach. It’s adorable. And also, not stealthy. Silly cats.

I love this. Our cat Toby acts as life has been sucked out of him and sinks to the ground “IF” you attempt to put any decoration on him. It paralyzes him to the point he can not walk. Though he will roll if you say the word “treat”. Happy Holidays

They all look like they are about to pounce on something. It obviously would NEVER be you, and it’s obvious because you have 3 cats that it’s not a mouse because no mouse is that dumb to go into your joint and be all, “I am your master, give me your cheese.” So my guess is you have an arrogant bug who is one by one taking on your cats to claim the territory for the 3 days of its life, or a super threatening ghost who loves to watch you shower, blog, and take pictures of your cats. Ghosts are weird. I’m so thankful you have 3 bouncers protecting you from the evils that lurk. May the Pussy be with you.

I put a reindeer hat on my cat once and she hung her head in shame and would not look up for me to take picture. I felt so bad and when I took it off she just looked at me so sadly, like “How could you do that to me?”

The first time I heard our youngest cat chattering I thought something was wrong with her. My husband quickly explained I was an idiot and that she was simply excited by something. Hunter is freaking cute.

Um, *100%* of car crashes are “preventable”. I hate nonsense “statistics” like that. They are always followed by equally inane propaganda by people with a particular axe to grind. If everybody took driving as seriously as they should and were as well trained as they ought to be, there wouldn’t be ANY car crashes. But they’re the same humans that make lots of other mistakes for lots of reasons. They’re people, people. To misquote a phrase, “common sense is anything but common”.

So how much high-octane eggnog did Hunter S. Thomcat have before that photo? He looks like he’s about to collapse. 😉

Australian Rock royalty (Tex Perkins {AKA “Sex on Legs} and Tim Rogers {with the higher voice} sing a Christmas duet. It’s from a show called “Rockwiz”, which always has 2 amazingly talented artists do a cover at the end.

murdered snowman. omg. that made my day. I was sitting here crying at the computer over Christmas blah, blah, blah and I am now laughing hysterically over bloody snow. thank you for turning it around for me! merry Christmas!

I thought about doing that with my cats but I would get the stinkeye from the older cats. They would also put a curse on me that would cause hair to grow on my back or every squirrel in the neighborhood to follow me around.

You have marvelous cats. If I did that, I would require many stitches and a long course of antibiotics. My dog would probably go for it, though . . . anyway, thank you for your blogerificiness. You were one of the sterling points of 2013 for me (no, that doesn’t mean I need to get a life, thank you very much).

Jenny,
I wanted to let you know the reading your blog saved my life. I was in a very deep depression and considering, multiple times, daily doing very bad things to myself. I checked my self in for 6 days and did 10 days partial hospitalization, because depression lies. I made some big decisions during my recovery and I’m making my life better for me and my kids. Thank you for the usual comic relief but also the for spreading the truth about depression and anxiety. We shouldn’t be embarrassed or ashamed of mental illness, we need to talk about it.

I hope you have a ver Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, I know I can.
Shana
(I’m so glad you’re still here. You made me cry…but in a good way. ~ Jenny)

Merry Christmas! I have been reading your book and have a suggestion. Next time you are in the middle of an awkward story and need it to be over, just end it quickly with “And then I found $20!” Even if it doesn’t go with the rest of the story. Because then there’s a point the your story that people can relate to and it can be over.